FOOD EDITION
STAR ATTRACTION There’s a new head chef at the Gonville, and he’s hungry for Michelin stars! Liz Potter tries his menu
T he Gonville Hotel is one of Cambridge’s smartest places to stay and dine. Built in 1830 by Gonville & Caius College for one of its senior fellows, today it has a refined, elegant, modern country house feel, with large open rooms, big windows and thoughtful interior details. New head chef Zack Bunker has ambitious plans to elevate the menu, working with local suppliers and his close-knit team to introduce an aspirational bill of fare. Always on the lookout for the next culinary genius, Cambridge Edition paid Gonville Kitchen a visit to try out Zack’s new menu. Waiter Nico was very attentive, and my companion (Maria) and I chose a table overlooking Parker’s Piece. We drank a virgin mojito (apple juice, lime, mint and soda) and a Refresh (pineapple and lemon juice, grenadine and fresh strawberries), and found ourselves declaring ‘mocktails are so moreish’. To start, Maria chose cured salmon, which was served as a square of bite-sized pink cubes, each topped with a swirl of bright-green avocado purée. This looked utterly beautiful – the colours and textures making it an appealing option that wasn’t
at all heavy. A light scattering of charred orange pieces added an unexpected zip. I went for the roasted aubergine – Gonville’s take on baba ganoush. Served in its skin like a ladies’ slipper and dusted with piquant spices, it was scored into spoon-size cubes so soft and creamy they melted in the mouth. For the main course, we chose a torched prawn tagliatelle and 8oz aged sirloin with delicious peppercorn sauce, Koffmann’s light and salty fries, plus colourful heritage carrots on the side, doused in butter. My tagliatelle arrived as silky ribbons of pasta swimming in a roasted prawn bisque and dill oil, presided over by a ferocious-looking king prawn. Comfortably replete, we nonetheless glanced at the dessert menu. I selected a pavlova of meringue, whipped cream and berries, plated up inside a circle of sweet red jus. Maria went for a trio of strawberry, chocolate and pistachio ice creams, served in one of those fancy gelato bowls that leans towards you. As if we needed any more encouragement!
Gonville Kitchen’s new head chef Zack Bunker started his career as an apprentice at the hotel’s Cotto restaurant back in 2017. “I never dreamed I’d be back here running the kitchen eight years later,” he says, having also worked in the kitchens at Trinity seafood restaurant and even run his own wholesale oyster business. “I like simplicity and refinement,” he adds. “Typically, I’ll showcase one core ingredient using many different techniques, with the rest of the kitchen team chipping in ideas. “There are two signature dishes on the menu that I am particularly proud of. One of them is the pork tenderloin, where we sear the pork in the pan, glaze a cheek slowly in stock and wine for about six hours, then braise a leek, make a burnt leek powder, roll the pork in that and finish it with crispy leeks in a really rich, intense Madeira jus. “We also have hay-smoked venison, where we sear a loin in the pan with lots of butter and serve it nice and pink. We then braise some radicchio, make a really nice celeriac puree and celeriac crisps and finish it with a burnt blood orange gel. “Cambridge has become a pretty exciting city for fine dining,” he says. “There are a lot of good places to eat, but in terms of real flair, I would say there are a couple of places – the Michelin star restaurants – and that’s the market we’re aiming for.” MEET THE CHEF: ZACK BUNKER
RAISING THE STEAKS The menu matches the setting, balancing creativity and comfort
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